Section 98: Failure to agree youth offender contract

Sentencing Act 2020 · 2020 c. 17View on legislation.gov.uk

Part 6: Orders relating to conduct — CHAPTER 1: Referral orders for offenders aged under 18

This section applies to—

the first meeting of a youth offender panel established for an offender, and
any further meeting of the panel held under subsection (2)(b).

The panel may—

end the meeting without having reached agreement with the offender on an appropriate programme of behaviour, and
resume consideration of the offender's case at a further meeting of the panel.

But if, at the meeting, it appears to the panel that there is no prospect of reaching an agreement with the offender on an appropriate programme of behaviour within a reasonable period after the making of the referral order (or orders), the panel—

may not consider the case at a further meeting under subsection (2)(b), and
must instead refer the offender back to court.

If, at the meeting, the panel and the offender reach agreement on an appropriate programme of behaviour, but—

the offender does not sign the record produced under section 96(4)(b), and
the offender's failure to do so appears to the panel to be unreasonable,

the panel must end the meeting and refer the offender back to court.

In this section, “appropriate programme of behaviour” means a programme of behaviour of the kind mentioned in section 96(2).

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Reuse reviewed 21 August 2026 under Open Government Licence v3.0.